Valiant Design Cohttp://valiantdesignco.com
Sun, 14 Aug 2016 20:35:28 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.4http://valiantdesignco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cropped-Valiant-HEADER-FINAL-1-32x32.pngValiant Design Cohttp://valiantdesignco.com
3232Lighting – A Room’s Jewelleryhttp://valiantdesignco.com/lighting-a-rooms-jewellery/
http://valiantdesignco.com/lighting-a-rooms-jewellery/#respondFri, 15 Jan 2016 19:45:22 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3899Have you walked into a lighting store recently? As a designer I have gotten so weary of doing the lighting rounds when sourcing for a new client. Why? BECAUSE EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME. Every store seems to have the same buyer, because they are all stocked with lights I have seen a thousand times. Maybe that’s what sells. But for my clients, I want bold, exciting fixtures that capture your attention. Lighting is like the jewelry of the room. You don’t want to wear the exact same piece everyone else is wearing – you want the show stopper don’t you?

So where do I go to find something new and different? Thankfully, there are so many design stores online now. Fantastic, innovative and gorgeous design stores.

Here are a few of my favs that I have used in recent projects. Enjoy!

Chrome LED Wall Sconce

Gold Wall Sconce

Geometric Pendant with Mercury Glass

Gold Chandelier

Gold Cage Pendant

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/lighting-a-rooms-jewellery/feed/0Green VS. Toxic-Freehttp://valiantdesignco.com/green-vs-toxic-free/
http://valiantdesignco.com/green-vs-toxic-free/#respondThu, 28 May 2015 21:28:43 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3891I often have new clients mentioning to me that they want to use green finishes throughout their space. When I reply with “would you also like them to be toxic free?” I usually get a blank look on their face in response. This is because most people usually believe “Green” and “Toxic Free” are interchangeable.
Unfortunately, when a product is called “Green” by its producer it doesn’t always mean it is toxic-free as well.

While green usually focusses on using local, sustainable or recycled materials, it does not mean that product is completely free of other elements that contain or off-gas harmful chemicals. In fact, often times, a product will be called “Green” with only one of its elements actually being “Green”. This a factor of green-washing as a product cannot really be green if some of its elements or ingredients are polluting the air not just in the manufacturing process but also in your home.

Recycled glass counters – made with resins which can contain methyl metacrylate (which can affect your nervous system and respiratory system), styrene (which damages the liver and causes cancer) etc.

Recycled Rubber Tiles – these are usually made with recycled tires made from Butylated Hydroxyanisole which is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxicant, Bensene which is a reproductive and developmental toxicant and Phthalates, an endocrine disruptor.
Not exactly products you want in your house if you are worried about VOC’s and other health destroying ingredients.

Therefore it is important to know what questions to ask when designing your “Green” interiors. i.e. “What else is this ‘Green’ product made with?”

The terms “Green and Toxic free should not be mutually exclusive. If a product is truly green, then it should also be toxic-free. In an ideal world I want all materials that are good for the health of the earth to also be good for the health of myself and my family.

Green

Toxic Free

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/green-vs-toxic-free/feed/0The Toxic Free House – Dismantling vs. Demolishing part 2http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing-part-2/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing-part-2/#respondMon, 06 Oct 2014 16:01:40 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3879I have had quite a few questions after my last blog such as “how exactly do you recycle parts of your house”? Where do you go? What can really be recycled?

It really is easier than it sounds and certainly doesn’t have to be a daunting task…….as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort.

To start – list all of the items on classified websites like craigslist.com and kijiji.com. You would not BELIEVE what people are willing to purchase used.
I never in a million years thought someone would want the old carpet in our house, but I put it up on Kijiji.ca and with a few different purchasers was able to make about $125 for all of the carpet. I don’t know if you have ever rolled up wall to wall carpet before and then tried to lift it…….it is heavy!!!! When you have to pay to dump things by the ton – it adds up quickly. The more you can keep out of the landfill the better it is for the environment AND your wallet.
You can pretty much list everything you can salvage from your house on the classifieds – I guarantee you will very likely have a 90% chance of selling it.
Everything from windows, to doors, light fixtures, appliances, cabinetry, flooring, scrap wood etc etc etc.!

If you can’t sell it – give it away for free! It is better than paying to send it to the dump and is much easier on the environment.
We have listed ALL of the scrap wood that we would not be able to sell for FREE on kijiji.com. Little by little it is being hauled away by DIY craftsman and builders who will incorporate the bits into their projects.

The recycling option can take a bit more research. But there are markets for the following:
Stone Rubble from foundations – contact local landscaping companies
Shingles – contact local asphalt recyclers
Metal parts – local scrap metal collectors

If you can’t find an asphalt recycler in your area try listing the shingles on a classified site. They may not be new anymore but they could definitely be used for a garage, shed, boat house or second sleeper cabin in cottage country. You just have to get your creative thinking cap on.
The metal parts can take some work to remove (electrical fittings, all the wiring in the walls, all plumbing pipes, metal eaves etc) but it’s another great way to keep a ton of garbage out of the landfill and you can also make some decent cash from the sale of it.

The reuse option is in my opinion the best option. You can keep something of historical value from the old building for your new house and it saves you from purchasing new finishes for the new build.
We salvaged 150 year old barn board floors from the old house. There should be enough for our whole new first level so we will just have them refinished (with a toxic free wood finish of course!) and then lay them down.
We also found a huge closet lined with beautiful cedar planks. We will be saving those to line our new wine cellar.

Removing Nails from Our Barn Board Floors

Both of these items will significantly reduce costs when purchasing finishing materials for the new house.

It is easy to say selling all of these items will lessen the financial burden of building a new house and will help protect the environment, but it does take work.
You need to be ready for the hard labour it will take as well as the time and weekends eaten up by this kind of project.
For me though, it was well worth the sacrifice. I am so happy that our new home won’t be at the expense of the environment. We need to protect it at all costs. If that means not taking the easy road – then I am ALL for it.

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing-part-2/feed/0The Toxic Free House: Dismantling vs. Demolishinghttp://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing/#respondMon, 11 Aug 2014 20:49:36 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3874Did you know that 75-95% of a house to be demolished can actually be recycled by dismantling it instead?? The salvaged pieces can be sold to scrap yards, donated to Habitat for Humanity (in exchange for a tax receipt) or given to various construction recycling programs.

This means that you can prevent a huge amount of garbage going to the landfill and you can save money while doing it!

Dismantling is a much more time consuming process, but is very worth it if you are concerned about both the environment and your bank account. You can either hire a company to dismantle or you can do it yourself (though preferably very carefully and with guidance).

When I purchased the property that would soon be the site of my brand new and toxic-free house I had originally thought of just paying the $10k to demolish it. It definitely needed to be removed, but after some research and reading about the recent rise to popularity of dismantling I quickly decided this was the way to go.

Not only does it save tons and tons of garbage from going to the local landfill, but dismantling actually produces much less dust than moving in with a bulldozer and knocking down an entire structure in 2 days. Your neighbours will thank you!

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house-dismantling-vs-demolishing/feed/0The Toxic Free Househttp://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house/#respondMon, 11 Aug 2014 20:25:55 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3871As a designer, it is the greatest thrill when you have a client come to you with a blank slate. It gives your creativity free reign to design a beautiful, interesting space.

When I decided to buy a home I was determined to go all in and buy a property where a new build was the best (and only!) option.

Most cities can have daunting restrictions and/or by-laws with what can be built and it can certainly thwart your creative freedom, but in the end you are still working with a bare piece of land. With these restrictions in mind I am off to design a house that will (at least for the moment) satisfy all of my wishes and needs.

Building a house from scratch allows me another HUGE advantage. I will get to choose everything that will be used to build my house. From the insulation to the flooring to the paint. I can ensure that EVERYTHING is as toxic free as possible. No harmful chemicals will be coming near this house.

I am positive this will be a challenge, but it is a challenge I have no intention of losing.

Stick with me to see how to build a beautiful toxic-free house from the ground up.

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/the-toxic-free-house/feed/0The Loungehttp://valiantdesignco.com/the-lounge/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-lounge/#respondWed, 30 Apr 2014 14:05:11 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3804Lounge areas have become very popular at weddings. Creating another little area for your guests to chat and enjoy themselves is really a great addition. However, with event rental companies, there seems to be the generic furniture that everyone uses. Don’t let this opportunity to create something spectacular go to waste!

In keeping with my french, vintage luxury theme I knew I needed french antiques, but was unsure where to find antique rentals. Thankfully vintage rentals for weddings are becoming more and more readily available.

After a little research I found an interior designer in Niagara on the Lake who had started a side business called “The Warehouse”. She was renting out exactly what I needed – french furniture and antiques!

After a few meetings with her we had designed a spectacular little nook that looked just like a french salon. Guests were in absolute awe of this beautiful little piece of a French Chateau that we had brought into the ballroom. It created the perfect place to have a “tete-a-tete” with friends, pose for pictures and enjoy after dinner sweets.

With a little research I am sure you can find a similar supplier – they seem to be popping up everywhere!

French Lounge

French Lounge

French Lounge

French Lounge

French Lounge

French Lounge

French Lounge

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/the-lounge/feed/0Recessional Send-off: Ribbon Batonshttp://valiantdesignco.com/recessional-send-off-ribbon-batons/
http://valiantdesignco.com/recessional-send-off-ribbon-batons/#respondThu, 10 Apr 2014 17:54:32 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3795When it came to deciding on what to choose for a recessional sendoff I was faced with a plethora of options. Lavender, rose petals, confetti, balloons, the list goes on and on!

I definitely narrowed in on the dried lavender (which would be filled in pretty cones) but lavender is quite costly and I didn’t want to blow my budget on something that would only last 30 seconds!

I finally decided on ribbon wands. They are visually stunning, sweet, romantic and they don’t impact the environment at all. (Confetti is impossible to clean up, balloons will eventually land somewhere causing litter, and rice can kill birds when eaten).

Materials for this Craft

I bought thin wooden rods from Michael’s – cut them to size and painted them white.

I then bought cute little wood “caps” (from Michael’s again), painted them in my grey lavender colour and glued them to the top of each “wand”.

Glue on wood “caps”

I alternated with white and grey/lavender ribbons and fastened them with glue just under the cap on each wand.

Glue on Ribbon

At the ceremony I had attendants hand them out to the guests with the programs as they arrived.

It was a fun element for guests and the pictures were quite cute.
It is all about these small elements that really puts a personal stamp on your wedding. With every tiny detail, guests will see and feel that you have had a hand in every beautiful aspect!

Recessional

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/recessional-send-off-ribbon-batons/feed/0The Menu Cardshttp://valiantdesignco.com/the-menu-cards/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-menu-cards/#respondTue, 08 Apr 2014 14:06:54 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3791Your menu cards should be lovely and descriptive enough that upon reading it, your guests’ mouths are watering in anticipation of the arrival of the first course.

If you were anything like me you will work tirelessly with the venue/caterer to ensure the menu at your wedding was perfect and reflected your refined foodie tastes.

Because our wedding was French inspired, the food of course had to be french inspired as well! It took us hours with the chef and a number of different tastings, but we finally developed the perfect menu and the result was a little taste of heaven!

Menu Card

After all of this hard work and the high expectations our guests had for our wonderful secret menu, we knew we had to develop a menu card that reflected the beauty of the 5 exquisite French courses.

I took the Laduree wreath with our mongram, and the same border corners as our invitations and used the two fonts I have been using for the rest of the stationery. Again, by using the same fonts, and motifs I was able to create cohesiveness with all of the different elements at the wedding.
The description for each course was separated by a flourish cut from the borders of the invitations.
I printed the menu on a creamy linen paper, trimmed it and then mounted them on the same grey cardstock used for the escort cards and programs.
The menus were then folded in the grey napkins on each guests’ plate.

Menu Card

Reims Table Name

To reduce the amount of work this all took, we had contemplated only printing one menu card and framing them. However, this set up makes it much more difficult for every guest to read the menu in detail. It is also a nice touch (and a little bit of luxe) for every guest to have a gorgeous menu card waiting for them at their place setting. It gives each guest the luxury of reading every detail of your menu in their own time.

There are so many different ways to display your menu for your guests. Just be sure that it get’s their taste buds excited, is creative, legible and incorporates the general look and motif of your wedding.

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/the-menu-cards/feed/0Introducing Valiant Design Co.’s Product Line – Healthy Home!http://valiantdesignco.com/introducing-valiant-design-co-s-product-line-healthy-home/
http://valiantdesignco.com/introducing-valiant-design-co-s-product-line-healthy-home/#respondMon, 07 Apr 2014 17:25:46 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3786As many of you know Valiant Design Co. has recently released an Organic and Toxic free line of cushions under the name Healthy Home.

As my prior blogs would suggest, I am very concerned with the direction our interior decoration is going. The majority of what we bring into our homes is replete with Formaldehyde, Phthalates, VOC’s & Flame Retardants.

These chemicals are absorbed into our skin, and off-gas into the air in our homes and can cause us very serious harm such as:
Hormonal Problems
Reproductive Disorders
Developmental Disorders
Cancer
Respiratory Issues (just to name a few!)

I am very passionate about spreading the word and encouraging the public to start moving away from products that contain toxic chemicals. It not only affects the environment negatively, but also hurts the health of us and our families.

While looking for toxic-free options for my client’s homes I became exasperated when I realized how difficult it is to find attractive items that are toxic-free. I decided to change that by starting my own toxic-free product line. While we have started small with decorative cushions, I am hopeful that we will be able to expand this into a full product line with furniture, fabric and bedding in the near future. It is Valiant Design Co. Healthy Home’s goal to be a very transparent company. We never want to be “just another greenwashing” company.

I would like to now take this opportunity to introduce you to the 2014 Spring Collection of Healthy Home’s product line. They can be purchased by visiting the “Products” section of this website. http://valiantdesignco.com/products/

Valiant Design Co.’s Healthy Home Spring Collection

Every element of our products are researched endlessly to ensure it is the safest option out there at the most affordable price (and with the right look!). With the majority of other designer cushions ranging in price from $95-$250, we strive to delight you with our extremely well priced ($65-$85), non-toxic, and beautiful designs. Our cushions include the following materials: Organic Cotton Muslin, Organic Cotton Patterned Fabric, Oeko-Tex Standard Linen, Oeko-Tex Standard felt, Recycled Cotton Batting (not treated with any flame retardants, bleaches, dyes or fungicides). We use only organic, chemical free spray starch to iron out fabric wrinkles and even our cushion labels are made from organic cotton!

Grey Cherry Blossom Cushion

Blue Cherry Blossom Cushions

Grey Cherry Blossom & Linen with Pinecone

Oblong Grey Cherry Blossom

Grey Birds Cushion

Oblong Blue Cherry Blossom

Aqua Knotty Pine

Grey Chevron with Linen Stripe

Aqua Knotty Pine Stripe

]]>http://valiantdesignco.com/introducing-valiant-design-co-s-product-line-healthy-home/feed/0The Table Nameshttp://valiantdesignco.com/the-table-names/
http://valiantdesignco.com/the-table-names/#respondThu, 03 Apr 2014 15:05:17 +0000http://valiantdesignco.com/?p=3772I have mentioned many times throughout this blog that personalization of your wedding is so important. For those of you who think I am talking about expensive monogrammed napkins and professionally framed, blow up photos of your engagement shots – that couldn’t be further from the truth. I am talking about simple, thoughtful elements that show off your love for one another and your life together.

Another way I accomplished this at my wedding was with our table names. Instead of using the lackluster and overused table numbers, I wanted our tables to show off a part of our life. As I mentioned before we had been living in Europe for three years and the last year was spent in Paris. We visited so many gorgeous towns throughout France and made so many wonderful memories in doing so. We decided that naming our tables after 13 of our favourite French towns would be a wonderful way to give people a small insight into our life together.
My mother is very good at painting in water colour and so I gave her the task of painting 13 small vignettes of each of the towns.
I then mounted these paintings on a grey coloured card stock and board.
Below this I mounted the name of the town as well as a small description of when we visited the town, what we did there and why we loved it.

Description of Our Trip

As a finishing touch I glued some more printed out toile on the back of the card to hide the unsightly labels and code stamps, and then placed them on a small, gold easel purchased at Michael’s for $7.00 each.

Tools Needed for this Craft

Measure Toile For Back of Card

Measure Toile for Back of Card

Front of Table Name Card

Back of Table Name Card

(Hint: For all of those crafty brides out there you can take advantage of coupons on the Michael’s website for your shopping trip. You can usually get 40% off coupons for regular priced items and occasionally you can get discounts on your entire purchase!)

Lyon Table Name

Versailles Table Name

Reims Table Name

There are so many ways that you can add elegant, personal touches to your wedding without spending a fortune. Just be creative!